Reading books to children before bed is the most sacred moment for parents.

According to researchers and writers in England, the warm voices of parents reading before bedtime are the most magical thing that a child's childhood can retain.

Many experts believe that children who are read to from a young age tend to love reading when they grow up and can continue reading to their children when they become parents - Illustration from The Guardian

British writer Horatio Clare shared a memorable memory with The Guardian of the nights he spent listening to his father read stories in their small London apartment.

As a radio announcer, his father did not simply read but delivered stories with a rich, expressive voice and loving attention. His mother also often read stories to him and his brother.

"The way my father read to us made me feel like I was hearing the story for the first time even though I had known it or heard it many times," Horatio said.

That's when all the worries subside

As an adult, he continued the ritual of reading to his son, Aubrey. During his years as a lecturer, often traveling between his home in the Pennines and his university in Liverpool, he realized that the most peaceful, sacred moment of a parent's day was when he read to his child before bed.

"That's when all my worries subside. Like my father in the past, I also find joy and peace in every word I say to my children."

According to Horatio, reading stories to children is not only an act of love but also a way for parents to listen and connect with their children.

It is also “a team sport ,” where both reader and listener create a world together.

Sometimes, the purpose of reading a story is not to inspire or educate, but simply to help children… sleep. Horatio even practiced the skill of switching his voice from “fascinating” to “lulling” when he reached the end of the reading, so that his child would gradually fall asleep.

"There are special moments when you look up and see your loved one slowly falling asleep to your voice, a sacred feeling. The atmosphere in the room seems to calm down," Horatio confided.

British writer Horatio Clare with his works Heavy Light, Running for the Hills... - Photo: Compassionate Mental Health

The rate of parents reading to their children is at a record low.

The Sydney Morning Herald cites a new study from HarperCollins UK that shows less than half of parents with children under 13 in the UK think reading to their children is “fun”. For children aged 0-4, even fewer are read to every day.

In Australia, data from the reading platform ABC Reading Eggs shows that: 30% of parents in New South Wales, and 22% in Victoria admit to being too busy to read to their children every day.

Professor Robyn Cox, an education and language expert at the University of Tasmania, says the decline is due to a number of factors: increasing economic pressures that leave young parents exhausted, the increasing number of two-parent working families, and the growing presence of electronic devices in family life.  

Ailish Woodhill often reads to her children before bedtime - Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald

According to Professor Robyn Cox, reading to children helps form groups of skills that will follow them throughout their lives, such as: letter recognition; vocabulary development, expression ability, understanding context...

And the bigger meaning is emotional. "When you take the time to read to your child, it's a moment of connection," emphasizes child and adolescent psychologist Deirdre Brandner. "It's like a message: 'You're the most important thing after a busy day.'"

Experts also give some advice so that parents can read to their children even when they are busy: spending a short time, even just 5 minutes regularly every day is better than doing nothing; making reading a habit; not just stories but also poems, newspapers, as long as it creates interest for children...

Precious 'break time' for both parents and children

Ailish Woodhill (27 years old, living in Sydney), mother of 6-month-old Mackenzie, told The Sydney Morning Herald that she and her husband share the task of reading stories to their child every night:

"When I was a child, my mother read me stories every night, which made me love books. Now I read those same books to my children. We read about 3 or 4 books every night. Being a parent is so busy, but the moments of reading to my children make me feel rested and connected to them."

Back to topic

LAM LAKE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doc-sach-cho-con-nghe-truoc-khi-ngu-la-khoanh-khac-thieng-lieng-nhat-voi-ba-me-20250711135202421.htm